We’re beginning to see a pattern here: Guns and restrooms don’t mix.

For the second time in less than three years, a gun was carelessly left in a public restroom in San Luis Obispo County — both times by someone employed in law enforcement.

The first and more infamous incident happened in July 2019, when a gun belonging to former San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell went missing after she left it on top of a toilet paper dispenser in an El Pollo Loco restaurant. It was eventually recovered.

On Monday, a civilian employee of the county Sheriff’s Office left a firearm in the restroom inside the lobby of the County Jail, where it was allegedly scooped up by a newly released inmate.

The person and the weapon were tracked down about 45 minutes later.

The employee, who was not identified, has a concealed weapons permit, according to a news release.

While it sounds weird, it’s not unheard of for guns to be left behind in restrooms by members of law enforcement; the internet has several stories about similar incidents.

A U.S. Capitol police lieutenant left a Glock 22 in a bathroom in the Capitol Visitor Center complex, according to Roll Call.

A DEA agent left a gun in a CVS restroom, according to The Trace, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gun violence.

And the Kansas City Star reported that a deputy left a loaded gun in a family bathroom at a Target store.

“The gun was on a belt found dangling from a handle in the family bathroom Thursday at the store in...

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